Railway signaling.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

S. D. STROHM.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APPLICATION rum) 1119.29. 1891.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

No. 809,999. a s. 1). STROHM.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.29,1891.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 809,999. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. S. D. STROHM.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.29,1B91.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

onrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed August 29, 1891. Serial No. 404,148.

, delphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railwa Signaling; and I do hereby declare the foflowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to railways having their line of way and engines or trains equipped with electromagnetic appurtenances for preventing collisions of trains by automatically stopping the engine or train before it enters upon a block or section of the line of way whereon the collisions may occur,

and particularly to that form of the same wherein the electromagnetic appurtenances at the stations, as well as those on the engine, are

. so constructed and arranged for action that the appurtenances at the stations are actuated or stepped to show or provide danger by each train or engine passing a station and are not restored or reestablished to safety until all the trains or engines pass off of a block or section controlled by said appurtenances, as fully.

shown, described, and claimed in a type of the same in United States Letters Patent dated May 25, 1886, No. 342,499.

My invention has for its object the arrangement and construction of parts for controlling the power-controlling devices for the electric motor; and it accordingly consists of the combinations, constructions, and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of station appurtenances and engine appliances with contact-brushes and power-controlling devices embodying my invention,-the enginebrushes being shown as about to make first contact at a station. Fig. 2 is a like view showing first contact. Fig. 3 is a like view showing second engine-brush contact at station. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of circuits for a railway having return metallic circuit. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing plan of contactplates and skeleton of devices for shifting brushes on engine, and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of an engine having a modified form of device for shifting the engine-brushes. Fig. 7 is an elevation of shifting brushes, power controlling devices, and magnetic appliances on the engine. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating track-contacts and means for mechanically shifting contact-bar and brushes.

A represents the engine or motor-car having an electric motor a, receiving its supply from a trolley a on a line-circuit 0, which, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is a single line-wire having a ground-return a and in Fig. 4. a double line or one with a metallic return. The car A is provided with a vertically-sliding bar B, having a retracting spring I), a shoe or wheel I) at one end and a latch-head b at the other end. In line with said latch-head b is a latch-head c on armature-lever 0, controlled by an electromagnet 1 1 represent the movable or car circuits from the trolley a to ground 0?, including the car-motor a and an electrical pivoted switchlever d and contacts d d d To one end of lever d is pivoted the armature-lever c, and when switch-lever d is upon the contacts (1 d as shown in Fig. 1, the circuit 1 1 from the line a to ground a through the motor is complete, said circuit also including the usual manually-controlling lever and resistance box or other appurtenances for the engineer. The manual-controlling lever is shown in Fig. 6; but as its construction and operation are well understood I have not thought it'necessary to show it in the other figures of the drawings.

(1 is another contact for switch-lever d and has a wire connection 2 with the ground side of the motor, so that when said switchlever is moved to bridge contacts d d the motor a is cut out of circuit 1 1, the latter being then by way of contacts 01 d lever d, and wire 2 to ground a 3 3 is a circuit from the line a or branch from 1 1, including a resistance-box E, having lever e, magnet O, and leads to brush f. 4 is a branch wire from circuit 3 3 in advance of magnet C and leads to an engine-brush f The resistance-box E in circuit 3 3 is employed for controlling or regulating the linecurrent passing through magnet C or to brushes f f. The station appurtenances may consist of any suitably-located magnets .or solenoids, one for making and breaking a ground for the engine-brushes and the other for restablishing or restoring such ground.

In the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I have shown the circuit-breaker H, consisting of a rotating disk It with contact-insulation h, having brush it and a corresponding finger 72/3, with brush h on sections i i of shaft 1, respectively, said sectional shafts being respectively provided with ratchet-wheels n m for engagement with pawls n m respectively, on cores n m for magnets or solenoids N M. N represents another solenoid common to core M, and G G G and G G, and G the two sets of contact-plates at the stations. When the engine or motor-car has two brushes ff and the latter are shifted, as hereinafter explained, said contact-plates are arranged in sets, as shown in Fig. 5, the contact-plates G G having elevations or inclines for the shoe or wheel I) of bar B to travel up and down to raise and lower said bar for purposes hereinafter describedthat is to say, the plates of a set are not in line. From plates G G leads a circuit 5 5 to solenoid N, to brush k contact-plate h, finger if, when said plate and finger are closed, to brush k Man/"to ground 10. From plates G G leads a circuit 6 6, to solenoid N and to ground 10. The circuit 5 5 controls the movements of the engine or train. When closed, the engine or train is not stopped, but is so when said circuit is opened. The circuit 6 6 controls the further stepping or movement of the members h ha of the circuitbreaker apart when broken by trains arriving at a station and finding no ground through the circuit-breaker H and being stopped at said station. From plates G G leads a circuit 7 7 to solenoid M and ground p, and this circuit controls the restoring or restablishing of the circuitbreaker H to close circuit 5 5.

In practice the circuits 5 5 and 6 6 from the contact-plates at a station mayflead to the magnetic appurtenances at the same station; but I prefer that they lead to appurtenances at a distant station ahead of said plates and the circuit 7 7 to a distant station to the rear, so as to provide an interlocking system of finding ground, breaking the same, and restoring it at stations by passing trains, as set out in my Letters Patent of the United States No. 662,833, dated November 27, 1900.

In Fi s. 1 and 2 the dotted circuit-lines leading from full lines 5 and 6 connect G, G, and G to station devices in front and rear thereof. The apparent connection of G G to an adjacent station is merely for convenience in showing the full operation of the devices in the one figure.

An engine or train approaching a station in the direction of arrow 1, Fig. 1, first makes contact by its brush f with plate G, and the circuit-breaker H being closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the engine partial circuit-3 3, with included magnets C, finds ground through station-circuit 5 5, energizing solenoid N and engine-magnet C. The latter attracts armaturelever 0 out of the path of the ascending and descending rod B, (see Fig. 2,) and the engine having found a safety ground indicating clear block ahead is not stopped, and at the same time the solenoid-core n is moved to position to admit of its pawl 11. engaging ratchet-wheel n of sectional shaft i for opening or stepping apart the circuit-breaker H one step to break the circuit 5 5 for a following train. The brush f in contacting with plate G does not pass off of the same until brush f contacts with plate G and solenoidcore n therefore is held in its moved position until brush f leaves plate G whereupon its reaction-spring n acts to reversely move the core and break or open the circuit-breaker H, as above described.

A following train making a contact with its brush f with plate G finds no ground through station-circuit 5 5, and armature-lever a, not being attracted, is in the path of rod B and is drawn down by it, as shown in Fig. 3, to move switch-lever d to bridge contacts (1 d to cut the car-motor out of its circuit 1 1 and stop the engine or train, the brakes being also automatically applied by provision of suitable magnetic devices located in the branch of circuit 1 1, leading outside the motor to ground a any suitable brake mechanism being employed. As said following train car-brush f contacts with plateG the engine-circuit 4 4 is completed through station-circuit 6 6, and the solenoid N moves the core n to act, as before described, to move shaft 11 to step the members of the circuit-breaker still farther apart, and such result is produced by all following trains making contact with station-plate G and finding no ground through circuit 5 5. A leader train or car, therefore, arriving at a station and finding ground for its brushf actuates mechanism at the station or at a distant station to open said circuit to danger for a following train and all the latter arriving thereat find no ground through station-circuits 5 5, but find one through circuit 6 6 to further step the members of the circuit-breaker H away from each other, so that it cannot be closed until all the trains pass off the section or block controlled by said station. Such restoring or restablishin g of the circuit-breaker is effected by contact of engine-brushf with contact-plate G, which closes the engine-circuit through station-circuit 7 7 to energize solenoid M to move its core m and step sectional shaft i and finger 7L3 toward the contact h of circuit-breaker H. Each train or car passing out of the block or station contacts with plate G and moves the finger 7&3 one step until the circuit-breaker is closed to safety.

When the train backs or reverses, its brushes ff are shifted from the line'of plates G G G to that of plates G G G and the latter being reversely arranged the same abovedescribed results are effected to control the train as it backs along the line of way.

' plates G G are provided with inclines or elevations for bar B it and said brushes are both mounted on the frame or bar f so as to be shifted together. (See Figs. 1 and 5). The semaphore illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises the solenoid p included in circuit 7 7, and having a core 1), provided with retracting spring 19 and a latch p for raising the semaphore-blade to danger position, in which position it is held by the latch p. The semaphore is released from engagement with the latch and allowed to fall to. safety position when the magnet p is energized and the latch p withdrawn. An electric lamp p is included in the circuit with the track-contacts and latch 19 and has a terminal 10, with which the latch makes contact when pulled by magnet 19 and thus lights the lamp.

In Fig. 7 the wheels I) b are mounted on the ends of the horizontal arms B of the bar B, which carries at its upper end a hook 6 designed to engage another hook 0, attached to the armature of magnet C. When a wheel, as b, comes in contact with a plate with inclined surfaces, as G, such wheel will be elevated, and with it the bar B, so as to bring the hook 1) into position to engage with the hook c on the armature 0. Such engagement is clearly shown in Fig. 3, the wheel I) having just left the inclined surface of plate G.

It will be seen that the hooks b c are wide enough to allow the bar B and its connections to be moved laterally without throwing the hooks out of line of engagement. Hence the hooks will engage with each other in Whatever position the wheels I) b may be shifted to. The bar B is mounted on a slide B on the floor of the car, and said slide is pivotally connected to the bar f so that when the latter is automatically operated from the aXle of the car the slide and its connections, including the bar B, will be shifted laterally to make the proper track contacts.

In Fig. 6 I have shown included in the motor-circ 1it 1 1 the regulator or reversing lever S for the engineer for controlling the movements of the train, and one end of such lever is in engagement with the shifting mechanism f 4 for controlling the shifting of the engine brush or brushes. Such engagement may be made as desired, a preferable form being shown in said figure, wherein a wheel or segment sis in connection with said lever S, and said wheel or segment has a cam-slot s with neutral point 8 for the finger on the end of the shifting lever f, so that when lever S moves only on one side or part of its movement and not being in its neutral line and when brought to the latter'position will not affect the brush or brushes on the engine.

An electric incandescent lamp Z is located in branch circuit 8 8, one of its conductors leading to a terminal 1 A lever Z is coupled by a line Z to the lever (Z, and when the armature-lever c is drawn down by the arm B and the car stopped the lever Z is drawn down at its linked end and elevated at its free end, the latter coming in contact with the terminal Z and completing the branch circuit through the lamp. If desired, a semaphore or drop signal Z (shown in Fig. 1) may be used with or without the lamp, the lever Z holding the drop signal normally in raised position, but releasing it and allowing it to fall at its weighted end when the car is automatically stopped.

I claim 1. An electric motor car having an electric motor, a source of electrical supply, circuit connections therefor, a shunt or branch circuit including magnetic devices, contactbrushes carried by the car, contact devices with which said brushes are adapted to coact, said devices being arranged along the line of way, station appurtenances in front of and behind said contact devices, and in circuit therewith, a slidingbar carried by the car, controlling mechanism also carried by the car and adapted to be actuated by said bar, said mechanism being controlled by said magnetic devices, aframe for said brushes and bar, and means for shifting said frame.

2. In a railway, groups of separate alining contact plates located at predetermined points along the line of way, said plates being insulated from each other, and one of them having reversely-inclined contact-surfaces, in combination with circuit-controlling mechanisms carried by a car, and station appurtenances in circuit with said contact-plates.

3. In a railway, the combination with a source of electrical supply, of a car or vehicle, a driving-motor thereon, electrical connections between the same and the source of supply, a hand-lever acting on a suitable controller for governing the speed or power of said motor, a suitable switch for governing the action of the motor and controllable independently of said hand-lever and irrespective of the position thereof, a mechanically-operated arm for engaging ,ith and actuating said switch, an electroma'gnet for effecting the engagement between said arm and said switch, said magnet being included in the electrical connections between the source of supply and a track-contact, a contact carried by the car or vehicle and connected With said magnet, and a track-contact adapted to be engaged by said contact carried by the car.

4. In a railway, the combination with a source of electrical supply, of a car or vehicle, a driving-motor thereon, electrical connections between the same and the source of suply, a hand-lever acting on a suitable controler for governing the speed or power of said motor, an electric switch for governing the action of said motor, and controllable independently of said hand-lever and irrespective of the position thereof, a mechanically-operated arm for engaging with and actuating said switch, an electromagnet for effecting the engagement between the said arm and said switch, said magnet being included in the electrical connections between the source of supply and a track-contact, a contact carried by the car or vehicle and connected with said magnet, and means along the line of way for effecting the action of said magnet when the line of way for a predetermined distance is clear.

5. In a railway, the combination with a source of electrical supply, of a car or vehicle,

a driving-motor thereon, electrical connections between the same and the source of supply, a manual device acting on a suitable controller for governing the speed or power of said motor, an electric switch for governing the circuit of said motor, a mechanically-operated arm for engaging with and operating said switch, an electromagnet for eiiecting the engagement between said arm and said switch, said magnet being in shunt-circuit with said controller, and means along the line of way for governing the circuit of said magnet.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL D. STROHM.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. VAN HORN, R. W. VAN STAVOREN. 

